Ellen M. Meland

August 17, 1945 - December 12, 2015

Ellen M. Meland Obituary Ellen Marie Meland passed away on December 12th with her family by her side after a long series of illnesses. She was born as Marie Ellen Ree Aaron in Ville Platte, Louisiana, to Claiborne and Evenice ?Juanita? Aaron on August 17, 1945. She was later adopted as a small child when her mother remarried Numa Morein Jr. She grew up with her three siblings Lionel Chris, Beverly Ann and David Craig, and graduated from Ville Platte High School. Ellen had five children born to her. Richard Jr., Juanita, John, Deborah and Jackie. Jr. She married at a young age to Richard Beck but it lasted only last a short time. She later married Jack Whipple, moved to Spokane, and divorced in 1974. She met Frank Meland and they married in 1977. Ellen?s greatest heartache was the loss of two of her children, Deborah in 2008 and Richard in 2015. Ellen and Frank adopted two of Deborah?s children, Joshua in 1985 and Kiara in 2005. In addition to raising seven children, Ellen had a varied career starting out as a nurse?s aid for the elderly. Later, she became the manager of Valley View Congregate Care. She then attended college at Eastern Washington University and went to work as a Job Placement Specialist for ARC of Spokane. She helped develop work programs with various corporations for people with developmental disabilities. She had a very caring way about her that contributed greatly to her success. Ellen Marie created a loving home, because first and foremost, she was a mom. Crafts, cross-stitch and scrap booking were some of her favorite hobbies to create memories for her family. She also was a great cook and her best dishes for southern home cooking are now lost to time. She raised her children to be as strong as she had to be in life so they were never coddled. But at the same time, mom was always home base to them and they knew her love was unconditional. When the kids would step out of line, she could accomplish more with the flash in her eyes than any other discipline devised. However, those same eyes would melt your heart with her expression of love for them. Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, two children Richard Beck Jr. and Deborah Sue McCullough, siblings Beverly Ann and David Craig. She is survived by her loving husband Frank, children Juanita Robinson, John Aaron, Jackie (Renee) Whipple Jr., Joshua (Erin) Meland and Kiara Meland. She is also survived by her brother Chris, and she leaves behind 13 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. We will all miss her warm hugs and beautiful smile! Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 17th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Heritage Funeral Home. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, December 18, 2015 at 1:00 PM at Heritage, with interment to follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Memorial contributions in Ellen?s name may be sent to the Spokane Guilds? School.